Troul 

Typically I'd not put much thought into buying a frame, however, the current supply & demand has changed my usual ways. With that said; Has anyone that is not a business/shop bought a frame from a manufacturer or retailer & did there own build within the past handful of years?
If you have, was there any problems that cropped up that prompted a warranty claim, return, tech support, parts information (tech & assembly specs) ?
I'm looking at buying a road bicycle frame, but am curious how I'd be treated if the frame needed OEM support?
I know it differs from OEM to OEM, so to be a bit more specific to brand, it'd be a Trek carbon frame.
If the price difference wasn't so close & significant, I'd likely have took my chances with a pre-owned frame. Being that used wouldn't save a drastic amount of greenbacks, going new might provide some benefits that is more logically & financially smarter later on down the road.

Phil_gretz

I've purchased two frames over the last 8 months or so from the Far East. Both eventually arrived as described (seller agreed to customize, but didn't), although the dimensions of one were not as agreed. I argued for a partial refund, which I received, which justified the cost of switching stem type (threadless to quill) and length to accommodate.

TiHabanero

I have had two Habanero frames and communications with Mark, the owner, was excellent. The frames are excellent and reasonably priced. Check them out at habcycles.com.
The first Habby frame I got was the classic road model. Very quick bike, and a lively sprinter.
The current Habby is being raced by my son in crits and cyclocross since his aluminum frames he all cracked. The frame is the cyclocross model, but is working out in crits, just not a perfect sprinter. No worries, he is getting a crit frame soon.

GhostRider62

I had a custom frame built and the rear brake bridge was positioned incorrectly to reach the specified wheel size. They sent me some very long reach, cheapo rim brakes to just reach. The BB threads needed to chased. Otherwise, no problems.

I built up two other off the shelf bike OEM frames with no problems. I bought them from bike shops.

Ironfish653

So you want to buy a current-model TREK carbon road bike frame and build it up. Do you already have a bunch of the components? What kind of design brief, or intended mission do you have in mind for this bike? Is there a very specific gruppo or centerpiece components you want to use that aren't available OE?

I ask, because you mention budget, and building a bike from new or nearly-new components (to OE spec) typically comes out 30%-50% more expensive than buying the complete bike "off the rack"
While it's not hard to find deals on major items like wheels and drive components, the little things likeBB, headset, seatpost, cables, and all the little pieces of finishing kit can add hundreds of dollars on to the build cost, especially if you're buying new, at retail.

topflightpro

I do this regularly, but I do the builds myself. It also depends on the type of frame I am buying and what components I already have.

For example, my last two road bikes were bought as individual frames and built up. In one case, I bought all new components to build up the bike I wanted (frame I wanted was not sold as a full bike option). But in the other case, I transferred parts to the new frame and sold the old one.

Troul 

Correct.
I have the wheel set, gears, der, chain, bars, shifters, brakes, seat, pedals. Rather not buy a whole complete bicycle to remove parts I'd not want to store/try & sell.

What I may save on buying just a frame is understood that their will be additional costs for parts it will require. Wouldn't make sense to buy a complete bicycle to still require some of those parts to set it up to my preference.

Troul 

what would be the outcome if 2 years down the road the frame develops a crack at an area not caused by riding [ie: seat tube cracks at BB]

delbiker1 

With the difficulty of finding and buying a lot of various cycling equipment and the coinciding cost increases, I would have to make sure I could get what I want/need without having long, unspecified wait times. The price you see today will likely be more next week. Unless you have specific wants that are not normal pieces of a complete bike, a complete bike is almost always at lower cost. I think it is also likely that purchasing a complete bike makes any warranty issues easier to deal with.

I purchased a new Soma Smoothie frame, 2015 model, in the spring of 2020. I also purchased a Soma fork separately, 105 7000 groupset from China, and Zonda wheels and all the other items necessary to build the complete bike. I think I probably spent a couple hundred less than I would have if getting a similar complete bike. But, the frame was at a great price, the fork I got on sale, the groupset was $465 w/shipping, the Zonda wheels were on sale at a great price. and the rest of the stuff I looked around a lot and chose quality items at reduced prices. No way all that could be matched today. Being the way I purchased all the items, they would probably have not been covered by any warranty, except the wheel set. I purchased them from PBK in England and warranty work would have involved shipping them back to PBK for approval.

For me, the satisfaction of riding a bike that I built from the frame up, that fits me about perfectly and has a wonderful ride, with the things I specifically wanted, makes it worth it, even if I did not save much money, if any. I am not a very patient person and having to wait more than a short, specific time, would drive me crazy.

So, for me, in the end it was a well done project with no problems at all, other than my less than stellar mechanical abilities, that is. It just may be my favorite bike to ride. However, I read all this back to myself and realize I was taking a pretty big risk doing it that way.

Phil_gretz

I throw the frame away. The cost is not so much that I would care much. The likelihood of that happening to me is quite small. I'm a spinner and relatively low torque sprinter. At my age, I have to emphasize smoothness over brute force.

Troul 

that would not work for me, especially with a known brand name & a carbon frame.

PeteHski

You might be better off simply asking the question of "how good is Trek's frame warranty?"

If you need help with the actual build detail, then I would buy from a reputable local retailer who should be willing to help. I can't imagine Trek being of much help in that regard.

Rolla

Frame buying is pretty straightforward, IMO. Dunno how it would go with a big company like Trek, but my most recent experience with Black Mountain Cycles was flawless. The bike built up exactly as predicted, and it continues to be a favorite. I see that your goals are very different than mine were, but there's a lot to be said for buying a frame from a small company with a responsive owner/operator.

Calsun

Even if bikes from manufacturers that have had cracks a year or two later there is no guarantee that the manufacturer will replace the frame for the customer. Lots of reviews of bikes online that mention this problem.

Maelochs

Think iof all the worst things that could happen to the frame .... then think of all the ways it could work out well.

Then think of all the terrible things which could happen in your life which would make buying, building, or riding the bike irrelevant or impossible.

Then think that nothing is ever certain, everything is risky, and ultimately no matter what you do it is fatal.

Pick the frame and the parts you want, find the best prices, buy them, build it, ride it.

Troul 

thinking of all that, that is a lot of thinking. I could be over thinking it though as the thoughts cross the mind.

Paul Barnard

Four over the past 3 1/2 years. 3 of which are Lynskey's. I have a hunch they'd take care of me if something went wrong.

alcjphil

Cracks at the interface between the seat tube and BB would almost always be caused by riding. This is a high stress area. If you didn't spend much on the frame, you might be able to write it off, but if you pay full price for a premium quality frame you should make sure beforehand that frame warranties will be honoured if you build the bike yourself

Troul 

I'd hope that Trek would stand behind there product if something were to happen.

Trek is the only road bicycle that offers what I require for features & to add accessories, it would be much easier to buy for than a custom carbon frame from what I have found.

Kapusta

Assuming you plan to buy the frame from an authorized Trek dealer, you questions are best answered by Trek, not BF.

I would THINK that if the frame cracks within the warranty period, it would be replaced or fixed. But again, ask Trek. Also check the details of HOW the warranty is handled. With companies like Santa Cruz and Turner, problems are resolved pretty directly. My experience with Marin was that the process was so prohibitively long and expensive for me that the warranty was essentially worthless..

Just be sure that the parts you have will play nicely with the frame. In particular, are the axle standards compatible, and if not, are the wheels convertible. Also double check bottom bracket compatibility and see what may be needed to adapt if need be.

DaveSSS 

Why would anyone even think about a warranty problem? Trek advertises their warranty policy. Keep your receipt.

I haven't bought a prebuilt bike in 30 years. I used Campy only until last July. I also don't worry about warranty. Never needed it.

My last two frames were Cinelli superstar models left over from 2017. New in the box for $1000 each. Great bikes. Before that, two Colnago C-RS frames for about $700 each.

Maelochs

If I bought a bike and its frame cracked for no real reason I might be a little upset .... NO bike frame (or really any component) should break due to normal usage in two years. i'd be upset if spokes broke, let alone my frame.

Why are you considering buying a frame you think might crack?

Or, if you don't think it will crack, why are you worrying?

Troul 

my question is to educate myself with what to expect from the OEM/Retailer of a Trek frame that an average consumer has bought. Is it worth going with a new frame or is it just as good going pre-owned without a safety net?

Maelochs

Thing is this---you buy a used frame, you have no idea what has happened to it .... it could have been crashed hard and the guy is replacing it because he doesn't trust it any more. And if any frame is Likely to not last a couple years .... it is one that has been used and possibly abused .... and you have Zero recourse. If you built it up and rode it, even a mile, you cannot prove You didn't hurt it.

Buy a factory frame, you have at least the possibility of a replacement .... and I have not heard about a lot of new frames failing. I have heard about some fork recalls and such .... but in every case the manufacturers made good.

Your choice .......

bocobiking

I bought a custom Gunnar frame from Waterford 2 years ago and built it up with Shimano. 10 speed parts I had. Built the wheels, too. Great experience. And of course Waterford would warranty it.